Faith in Jesus: He may let you fall, but you’re still held in His loving arms 🤗

Dangling on the end of a rope… Hugging a cliff unwilling to let go… Legs shaking and jerking uncontrollably…

“I’m going to fall! I’m going to die!”

That was me 17 years ago, lead climbing in Scotland.

Too tired to keep going, what was I to do? I couldn’t fall because then I’d have to trust my own gear placement and rely on that tiny climbing nut in a crevice to hold me.

“Can I really trust it? What if it falls out out? Surely that’s going to hurt.” These thoughts came despite knowing my climbing teacher wouldn’t let me lead unless he was confident in my skills.

Eventually the inevitable happened. I couldn’t hold on any more…

And splat!

Or rather I didn’t go splat because my gear held.

Yes, it did take a sweet cup of tea, chocolate and a debrief with the team to get over my experience, but I already knew I was stronger overall. And happy to have another go.

“Next time,” I vowed, “It won’t be so scary.”

And it wasn’t.

My first lead-climbing fall had built my faith for geting on with more adventures. “C’mon… You can do it!”

But this was faith in my own ability. Only when you put your faith in someone far greater than yourself, will you be truly unshakeable…

Jesus is your solid foundation

Jesus is your rock (Ps 18:2, 1 Sam 2:2, Eph 2:20) bringing power, life and healing into your situation when you let Him (there’s more on The Rock here). Even when you don’t feel it, God’s word declares it’s true so you can stand firm.

Here are some of His solid truths for all of us who walk with Christ:

• You are complete in Christ (Col 2:10)
• You cannot be separated from the love of God (Rom 8:35-39)
• You have not been given a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind (2 Tim 1:7)
• You can find grace and mercy in time of need (Heb 4:16)
• You are born of God and the evil one cannot touch you (1 Jn 5:18)
• You are salt and light of the earth (Matt 5:13)
• You are a branch of the true vine, a channel of His life (Jn 15:1, 5)
• You are God’s co-worker (2 Cor 6:1)
• You are God’s workmanship – His handiwork – born anew (Eph 2:10)
• You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you (Phil 4:13)
• You are a fellow citizen with the rest of God’s family (Eph 2:19)
• You are chosen of God, holy and dearly loved (Col 3:12)

Stand firm on these and other truths in The Bible  and immerse yourself in Him, then your faith will flourish (Rom 10:17, 1 Pet 2:2). Trust me, it’s way better than relying on a cam in a crevice or a sling round a spike!

That said, falling is important if you want to grow…

Growing in faith: it’s OK to fall

Sometimes you need to fall so you grow in faith. If I hadn’t fallen off that rock face I wouldn’t have known how strong my gear was or how well I’d placed it.

It’s like that with Jesus. When something happens in life that you feel you can’t manage or persevere with, you may stumble, you may even fall, but Jesus always has your back. He is strong and perfectly placed so you can overcome (1 Jn 5:4-5). Next time you’re fearful you can look back on your experience and remember how He helped you before knowing He will do it again.

When I feel I might fall in life, I remember my climbing experience…

The first time is always the hardest. You’re trusting, hoping, but as the situation has never happened before it’s impossible to know how things will pan out.

But with Jesus as your rock you can stand firm. Your faith will grow in times of adversity (1 Pet 1:7). So embrace the difficulties if you can – push yourself to take the plunge when you’re afraid.

By trusting Jesus and walking closely with Him, you won’t have disco legs any more. No, instead your bones will dance with joy:

 

“Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.

Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil! Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life!” – Prov 3:5- 8 (MSG)

 

This week I pray you’re able to stand firm in Christ the rock. That you know in your heart He’s your solid foundation and will never let you go. He’s got your back and is holding you in his loving arms right now.

God bless xx

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